Chapter 542: A Different Path

Underneath the Life Soil, there is a place called the Ethereal Realm, suspected to be near the true source," the young man postulated, startling Zhang Daoling. Could there really be a path beneath the Life Soil?

Zhang Daoling, a venerable leader revered for his vast knowledge, had heard tales of such phenomena from the lost super civilizations, but he had never ventured there himself.

"A young man, born of the mortal world and not ascended to the heavens, managed to discover this on his own?" he wondered aloud.

"Underneath the Life Soil, another universe exists? You plant celestial herbs and mine meteor paths there—could it indeed be a genuine path?" Xu Fu also marveled, suddenly caught in a trance.

His curiosity piqued, he remembered their encounters in the secret lands. He had been astounded back then; how could this young man, not an immortal, repeatedly endure the deadly radiations of the lost lands?

"Traversing the Meteor Path, crossing the Sea of Red Mists, could one really enter a vast supermundane world, a realm where myths are perennial and reality unfading?" The Hades Blood Patriarch exclaimed, thrilled by the prospect.

A newfound secret path might indeed be viable, potentially granting new life to myths and reshaping the world of the extraordinary.

Simultaneously, the Patriarch felt a pang of envy, "Growing a few celestial herbs, they thrived like it's your backyard, casually sipping on celestial tea. Wait a moment... no, that's not right."

He snapped back to reality, suddenly thinking of Hengjun's tea tree that Wang Xuan had casually mentioned. "Young man, weren't you the one who impersonated me, the Hades Blood Patriarch, killed Zheng Yuantian, and stole Hengjun’s tea tree?" he accused, his eyes widening.

All eyes turned towards him, suspecting the truth of his words.

"That was merely an experiment gone awry," Wang Xuan explained modestly. "I hadn't anticipated that the mists rising from the Life Soil could forge a safe passage into the immortal realms."

Everyone was spellbound by the revelation that the true source might be connected beneath the Life Soil, from where the mists emerged, suggesting a path into the grand barrier above. The possibility sparked a flurry of thoughts.

"Could we have been wrong? Should our exploration have been directed beneath the Life Soil rather than on it? This notion is revolutionary!" Even the Demon Lord was lost in thought.

Yan Mingcheng shook his head, trying to reassure his dear one, "The realm beneath the Life Soil has been known since ancient times. Super civilizations have attempted to explore it, but how many have traversed it without getting lost? In an era dominated by such civilizations, only a handful have succeeded, making it far from universal."

Bai Jingshu added, "According to fragments from ancient texts, civilizations that possessed the Sovereign Flag and the Curtain of Heaven Mirror tried to explore it but failed, and both civilizations suffered devastating blows, ending in bloody decline."

"From what you've described, only the spirit can enter beneath the Life Soil. If one were to pursue ascension in this manner, approaching the true source might necessitate abandoning the physical body," Fang Yuzhu spoke up.

The concept of spiritual ascension seemed akin to entering the grand barrier—enduring the onslaught of supreme thunder and relinquishing the physical body to let the spirit enter the immortal realm.

"This is a dilemma," Wang Xuan nodded. He had always valued the physical body and was not willing to forsake it lightly.

Fang Yuzhu continued, "Perhaps, the realm beneath the Life Soil isn’t a true transcendent world after all. The so-called true source might actually be your physical body. The divine origin starts from the Life Soil and is ethereal, without a corresponding physical site in the body. Maybe the true exploration beneath the Life Soil is a journey within your own body?”

This new perspective took everyone aback; it was plausible. Otherwise, why would the true source never have manifested any signs in the real world? Wang Xuan agreed, having previously harbored similar thoughts.

"After all this discussion, there’s no substitute for seeing it ourselves," Old Zhang interjected, eager and ready to explore Wang Xuan’s Life Soil.

Wang Xuan nodded, "Agreed, but we must not linger too long, or risk assimilation and fusion."

The group was intrigued. In a world where the extraordinary was fading, any new path was worth exploring, and they were keen to witness it firsthand.With a series of whooshes, they prepared for their journey into the enigmatic depths beneath the Life Soil.

Beams of spiritual essence flickered and flew, but each participant felt an increasing resistance, a stiffness that was growing day by day. "Time is of the essence. If we delay any longer, will we even be able to project our spirits a few days from now?" the Elder of the Abyssal Blood Sect grimaced, having struggled mightily to detach his spirit from his body.

"It's quite serious!" affirmed the Demoness Yan Yun, nodding her agreement.

It was becoming evident that in the future, aside from Earthly Immortals, others might find it increasingly difficult, if not impossible, to venture forth in spirit form, stifled by the cosmic forces that were tightening their grip.

"Let's go," Wang Xuan led the way, opting not to use the Nurturing Furnace this time as Bai Jingshu's Undying Umbrella and Fang Yuzhu's Curtain Bracelet would suffice.

She felt that, deep into their journey, as the undying umbrella paved the way, her own Underworld Soil seemed as if it was about to be torn apart, making further advance impossible.

Zhang Daoling, Xu Fu, Bai Jingshu, and Fang Yuzhu also tried their hand, finding that the more powerful the individual, the less they could penetrate without risking destruction of their Underworld Soil.

"This is what they mean by 'deeply rooted,'" Yan Mingcheng commented with a sigh. "It has solidified. Had we not embarked on this path in our early years, now it seems 'too late to turn back.' It’s a difficult path to tread."

Fang Yuzhu added, "Unless one can undergo a complete rebirth like Wang Xuan—spirit, body, and inner landscape—all at once. Perhaps then the Underworld Soil could also be rejuvenated. Only then might we be able to start anew and traverse it completely."

A thought struck Wang Xuan; his own Life Soil was exhibiting some anomalies—could it be the so-called Nirvana? If so, he was truly reborn from head to toe, from solid to void, from void to solid, rejuvenated in every aspect.

"Can you still sense your three specks of light?" Xu Fu inquired.

Wang Xuan shook his head. Since leaving the Lost Path Cliff, he had lost contact with the three specks of light and could not determine where they had sunk.

"Try with a newcomer. Someone who's still barely in the Transcendent realm, with low cultivation, whose Life Soil hasn't solidified yet. Explore beneath them, see if there are any new discoveries."

"It's likely fruitless. The Life Soil beneath newcomers is empty and desolate. The ancients and sages have explored this long ago. Perhaps only beneath the powerful beings and those with special Life Soils might there be mutations, mysterious things."

"Let's try once more. Take the supreme treasure into the void, travel far enough, and maybe we'll discover something."

Promptly, they set about their plan, summoning some of the descendants and followers of Old Zhang and Patriarch Ming Xue.

One by one, the Life Soils of four young people were explored. Wang Xuan personally followed, his spiritual third eye guiding them, ensuring they wouldn't get lost.

He maneuvered the Celestial Veil Bracelet, speeding along, and beneath the Life Soils, he found desolate areas, gray and grim, unlike his own. His spirit wandered vast distances, encountering not a trace of life. There were no immortal pools, no meteor pathways.

It was a barren land!

The areas beneath the Life Soils of all four young people were the same—nothing remarkable, no chance to cultivate celestial medicines or to unearth paths that approached the true source.

"The three individuals in the Treasure of Life pool," they said, "their ancestors reportedly came from another distant universe beyond our own. They seek clues to return to their ancestors' universe, which is said to be a place where myth and technology coexist and cultivation is possible!"

Yan Mingcheng sighed, reflecting on the holders of several supreme treasures, each desiring to tread their own distinct path.

"That distant universe beyond ours is shrouded in mystery. After their ancestors arrived here, some of them turned dark, becoming fallen spirits—corrupted and almost beyond redemption. It's hard for them to return now," he explained.

"It's understood that these beings entered our universe one after the other, yet they appeared in vastly different eras—some thousands of years apart, others tens of thousands. Without reminders, they themselves wouldn't even be aware!"

"Moreover, some of the fallen spirits mentioned that coming to this universe was meant as a sort of experience."

But now, even the spirits themselves can't find their way back, whether they are the regular kind or the brutally corrupted ones; most are lost without a path home.

The holders of the Divine Palace's supreme treasures, belonging to the Buddhist and Daoist schools, also held divergent views. The Daoists are aggressively ambitious, seeking to contend with the heavens and recreate a small immortal realm, aiming to establish a Heavenly Court.

In contrast, the Buddhists prefer to lie dormant, seeking Nirvana and annihilation, slumbering within the Divine Palace, waiting for the birth of the next supernatural era—a time that will likely come after countless eons, with the normal cycles of human civilization changing countless times.

"Shang Yi is certainly taking the path that breaks through to the highest spiritual world."

Wang Xuan looked towards Fang Yuzhu, Yan Mingcheng, and Bai Jingshu. What paths would they choose?

"Fang Yuzhu wants to carve out a path between life and death—very radical. Either she succeeds, or she becomes a butterfly in the flames, dancing her final dance. My wife and I, however, prefer a more stable approach..." Yan Mingcheng began, outlining the paths and plans of both Fang Yuzhu and themselves as a couple.